Only Time
by Mardre Ebridge
Summary: Elena used to be engaged to Damon Salvatore, only to have him leave her. Now he's back and he's hotter than ever! How will she resist him?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: To those who have read 'Memories,' the next chapter will be up shortly. This is just something I wrote in between. Hope you like it!**

Only time

Ten years seemed as if they had never happened at all as Elena saw him walking right outside the window of the restaurant she was having dinner at. She froze mid-bite at the sight of him. He had changed. Gone was the slightly lithe built boy; he was now a man in every sense of the word. It was like he demanded to be noticed. He used to have his boyish charm, now he had buckets of sexual energy.

She noticed his muscular legs and chest and her eyes wouldn't leave his strong, stubbly jawline. She also noticed that he was entering the restaurant. Oh God! Would he recognize her?

Her eyes followed him as he strode towards a table and stopped in front of a blonde. Funny, blondes were never Damon's thing.

"Uhm, Elena?"

Shit, she was on a date here! She needed to pay attention!

"I'm sorry. I thought I saw someone I recognized. What were you saying?"

"Well, I'm…."

Was it a business thing or was he on a date as well? God, he had turned into a fine specimen! It was so unfair! Why couldn't appearance be based on what was on the inside? He had dumped her like the asshole that he was, and she really needed to pay attention to her date!

"That sounds amazing, John."

She gave her company a sweet smile in the hopes that she had answered him right, because she still didn't know what he had said.

Fuck, he had seen her! She watched as the smile dropped from his face as he took notice of her sitting here. Good, she didn't want him to smile. She wanted him to hurt, ache and pine like she had done all those years ago! She couldn't help but sit up a little straighter as he gave her a once over, suddenly highly aware of what she looked like. She knew her appearance had improved since then; no more frizzy hair and she had finally gained the body of a woman.

"So what kind of dessert do you want?" John interrupted her musings.

Her eyes left Damon and she quickly studied the menu in front of her. Ah, desserts. She could still remember Damon's love for them and how he loved it as She licked it from…

 _Right_ , pay attention!

Damon's eyes wouldn't leave her; she could feel them burning a hole into her. She licked her suddenly too dry lips as she tried to focus on what was going on at her own table.

"I'll have the crème brulee."

"Excellent. I'll order."

 _Yes, John. You order, but I don't think that I'm very hungry anymore._

Damon's eyes kept finding hers and it was so annoying what it was doing to her heartrate. Her short dress suddenly felt too tight and she needed to get away. She desperately wanted to run from the restaurant and never look back. So long, John. So long, Damon.

Why did he look so poised and in control over there? Her chest heaved with each breath and after his final glance her direction, she bolted. She quickly excused herself to her date and almost ran towards the bathroom.

Once inside, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes had the 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' look.

"Keep it together, Elena. He's the one who left you all those years ago. He's the one who should be uncomfortable, not you. You walk out of here with a sway in your hips, laugh at every joke your date makes and leave with him, never looking at Damon again," she told herself sternly.

After splashing a bit of water in her face to freshen up, she was ready to go. Of course, then she bumped into him, just as she was heading out.

"Elena," he acknowledged her.

Even his voice sounded sexier since then… so full of confidence. He was towering over her and she wanted to run.

"Damon," she breathed.

They were almost chest to chest in the narrow hallway where the restrooms were. He was doing it on purpose, he had to be. Why was he even back in Mystic Falls? He had left years ago to expand the family company. He had made quite a name for himself. Why come back to this small town?

His eyes were still every bit as blue as she remembered them. God, he was hot!

"What are you doing back in town?" she managed to get out.

"Business."

Short and to the point; exactly how he had broken off their engagement.

She held her chin up defiantly as she saw how his eyes landed on her lips. No way he was going there ever again!

"Ah yes, Salvatore enterprises. Give my best to your father and Stefan," she bit at him, before pushing him out of her way.

His hand shot out to grab her arm. Turning back, she yanked myself free, almost growling at him.

"You look good," he offered.

"Well yes, no thanks to you. Stop looking at me from across the restaurant, Damon. This..," Elena pointed towards her own body. ".. Is not yours, nor will it ever be again."

Damon held his hands up in surrender.

"Hey, I apologize. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable, I was just surprised to see you."

"Okay, well… the surprise is over. You've seen me, you've said your hello's, now it's time to go our separate ways again. Have a good evening, Damon."

"Okay," he interrupted her exit. "You're mad at me. What happened 10 years ago still affects you. I'm sorry."

"Please don't think that you affect me in any way, whatsoever, Damon Salvatore. I just want to get back to my date," she huffed.

Damon quirked an eyebrow at her. "I don't?"

"Don't be so full of yourself. You decided that you didn't want to marry me, and I got over it. Like you said yourself; it happened a decade ago. I moved on."

She watched as he crossed his arms, leaning back against the wall to make room for her.

"All right. Then I won't stand in your way. Have a nice evening, Elena. It really was good to see you again."

After one last look at his playful smile, she quickly scurried back over to where her date was patiently waiting. She apologized for bolting like that, explaining that she hadn't been feeling well. John gave her a worried frown.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want to want to head home?"

"Yeah, maybe that's better. It's nothing personal; I really had a good time. I think I just need to rest a bit."

Her eyes drifted back to where Damon was just sitting down again, paying full attention to his company. So he was back for business, huh? What kind of business? Was his father back as well? Or Stefan? Ugh, why did it matter to her? He would get his business done and be gone before she could blink, just like he did all those years ago. She shouldn't even worry about it. Maybe that lady was his business.. She had come across an article about prodigal sons who had left Mystic Falls a while ago. He was in it; apparently he had become ruthless, both in business and in relationships. If you could even label them as just that. He was quite the ladies man, now. Sort of a love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy.

" _Will you marry me?"_

 _Elena looked at him incredulously._

" _Yeah sure, Damon. How about next Tuesday? Can you pencil me in then?"_

" _I mean it," he said in a serious tone, taking her into his arms. "Marry me."_

" _You're serious?"_

 _Damon's eyebrows shot up playfully. "I just said that I am."_

 _Her mouth fell open, still not daring to believe his words._

" _But.. we're 24 years old. Your father has high hopes for you when it comes to you taking over the company and making it big across America. Don't you want to achieve that first?" she asked him._

" _I don't see how those things can't go hand in hand," Damon frowned. "I can't marry you AND take over the company? I know what I want. That's you."_

 _She bit her lip, while looking down at the ground._

" _Your father doesn't like me very much. He thinks I'm keeping you from your goals."_

 _Damon smiled._

" _Yes, and his goals cost him my mother. I don't want to make the same mistakes that he made. I don't want my work to become my life; always stuck at the office. I want you, Elena. Marry me."_

She shook her head at the memory that had just hit her. What had happened to that passionate boy? Why was it that only four months later, he had brushed her off in a business-like matter?

She glanced back over in his direction. He still didn't look at her. Maybe he was taking her irritations about his staring earlier to heart, but why did it suddenly bug her now? Why _wasn't_ he looking? She somehow wanted him to take notice of her and the way she had changed, despite of him. She wanted him to look and realize what a mistake he had made.

"Are you ready to go?" John interrupted her musings.

"Yeah, I guess.."

Picking up her purse, they headed for the exit together. However, she had to look one last time. She didn't know why. Maybe to have some closure, who knew? As her eyes landed on his back, he was just getting up out of his seat. He was helping his date getting out of hers as well. The blonde smiled at him and her stomach turned. Of course, then he looked up and found her eyes.

The earth seemed to stand still as she was helplessly caught in his gaze. Her heart drummed loudly in her chest and chills went up and down her spine involuntarily. She couldn't tell how long it lasted. She could tell, however, that it had been a long time since anyone had made her feel the way that she did in that exact moment. Her legs wobbled underneath her and she wanted to run, because he could _not_ make her feel like that ever again. He didn't have the right. It was probably a game to him; to see if he could still have her after everything. Every woman was a game to him now, she would just be another notch on his bedpost. He was dangerous and she needed to steer clear.

"Elena?" she could hear John utter behind me.

"Yeah?"

Her voice sounded raspy and strained.

"Are you coming?"

Damon gave her a small smile, before paying attention to the blonde woman again. She quickly turned around and followed John out of the restaurant. The entire drive back to her house was silent; she just didn't know what to say to him. Luckily, he took it as a sign that she really wasn't feeling very well.

"I hope you get better soon."

"Thank you," she mumbled, wanting to get inside as quickly as possible.

John kissed her cheek and she said goodnight. Inside, she kicked her heels off and threw her coat somewhere in a corner. She knew she was going to have a hard time sleeping that night. Heading for the refrigerator, she took out a bottle of water and held the cool plastic against her forehead, wanting to cool off somewhat. Why had this evening turned out this way? Why couldn't Damon Salvatore have stayed in Atlanta, where his headquarters was situated?

Suddenly, her cell phone rang. She picked it up and sighed.

"Wow, that sounds like your date didn't go all that well?" Caroline Forbes could be heard on the other end.

"Care… The past has come back to bite me in the ass. My ex-fiancé is back in town and somehow, he's hotter than ever…."

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Elena curled her fingers around the warm mug of coffee, breathing in the roasted scent. She could feel Caroline's eyes on her; she had a sympathetic smile on her face. Her friend had never met her ex-fiancé, Elena and Caroline had met 9 years ago through their mutual friend Bonnie. She wasn't there when her engagement to Damon Salvatore had ended. Heck, she hardly knew what he looked like for that matter! But since Bonnie had moved away to Boston with her husband Enzo, Caroline was the only one whom she felt that she could talk to.

"I can see that it still gets to you."

Elena shook off her lingering thoughts about the man she once wanted to kill and glanced at her friend.

"What does?"

"Damon Salvatore."

Elena sighed. "Yes, but why? It's been a decade. One would think that I would be over it by now. My memories of that time have yet to fade, I guess. Ever since I saw Damon two nights ago, I can see it all in my head so clearly that it feels as if I'm reliving it."

She put down her mug, tossed the blanket that she had been curled up in consistently for the past few hours, and began to pace the living room.

"Am I being weird?"

"I don't know," Caroline chuckled a bit. "No man has ever been able to drive me to the point that Damon obviously has driven you."

"Yeah, well thanks!" Elena snapped a bit.

"I don't get it, though. The bastard has obviously hurt you in the past and I understand how an encounter with him can shake you up a bit. But Elena, he's probably in town doing some business and then he'll be gone again. Don't give him this kind of power. Don't let him get to you like this. Don't you know that the best revenge is showing that you actually don't give a fuck?"

Elena rubbed her eyes, feeling dead tired all of a sudden.

"I do know that. You're right. I just hope that I don't run into him again for the time that he's staying here."

"And so what if you did? I mean, has this guy really turned out so drop-dead gorgeous that you're afraid you'll miraculously lose your panties around him?"

Caroline always had a direct way of saying things. It was one of her finer qualities.

"Yeah…" Elena sighed, only realizing what she had just admitted to when Caroline's eyes went big.

"I mean… NO!"

"Really?" Caroline's eyebrows shot up. "Now I'm kind of curious as to what Damon Salvatore looks like these days."

Elena flopped back down on the couch in front of her friend and put her head in her hands.

"You don't want to know."

"Look, the best way to forget about a man is with another man. Let's find you someone you can get horizontal with."

Elena rolled her eyes at her friend.

"I was on a date just two nights ago."

"And did anything come from it?"

"Well no… he sent me a text this morning that he felt like we weren't 'compatible.'"

Caroline gave her a pointed look.

"See, that doesn't count then. How long has it been that you've actually had some good lovin'?"

Elena grumbled at that question.

"Too long. I just don't feel like it right now. First, I need to get a certain ex off of my radar."

"Okay, sweetie. Just to get this out of your system, talk to me about how you met him. Tell me all about his stupid antics and how the asshole eventually let you go. Then, we'll bury the memories, go clubbing and find a nice new man to bump some pelvis with."

"All right.. it all began in 2008…"

May 2008

 _Elena had been aware of the Salvatore's throughout her entire life. Mystic Falls was a small town and people talked. She had come to learn that Giuseppe Salvatore in particular was a ruthless man, who had been forced to raise his two boys alone when his wife had died at an early age. They were rarely seen in town, living on the outskirts instead. When Damon and Stefan came of age, they were sent off to boarding school and didn't come back until they had properly graduated. She and Damon had never been in the same circles; she had only laid eyes on him once or twice when he was younger. But she couldn't ignore the sensations that rushed through her as she laid eyes on the man who had sat down at a table a few feet away from her at their local diner. He was by far the most handsome man she had ever seen in her 22 years on this earth. There was an air of confidence and yes, maybe a bit of arrogance around him as he casually sat there, looking as if he owned the place. He was working on a small laptop that was sitting on the table in front of him._

 _A waitress stopped by his table, obviously just as taken with him as Elena was in that moment. She was not very subtly giving him an open appraisal, while talking to him. Damon smiled as the waitress handed him his drink and accepted his money._

 _As he went to grab his drink, he suddenly noticed her looking. Whoops! Busted! Elena quickly turned away, never having meant to be gawking like that. She blushed a bright shade of crimson and told herself to calm down. She could still feel his eyes on her and shivers ran op and down her spine. He couldn't possibly be looking at her, right? The man was sexy as hell and she… well, she looked all right, but still…_

" _Hey, sorry I'm late!" Bonnie interrupted her thoughts. "Have you ordered yet?"_

" _Huh?"_

 _Elena tried to pay attention, but found her eyes drifting towards the dark haired Salvatore again. He was back to checking out his laptop, occasionally pausing by taking a sip from his coffee. See, he wasn't looking. It was all in her head. That type of man was not for her._

" _Elena?"_

" _Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?"_

 _Bonnie frowned at her._

" _What's with you? You seem distracted."_

 _Just then, Mr. Tall, Dark and Sexy put his coffee cup down and looked right at her. Elena couldn't help but fall victim to those eyes, who were crystal blue and piercing her very soul. He gave her a small half-smile and Elena felt herself begin to blush once more. She cast her eyes downward shyly. When she looked back up, there was an amused smile on his face as he focused on his work again._

 _He was probably used to this… women fawning all over him._

 _Suddenly, he got up from his seat. No! He wasn't leaving, was he? There was still some checking out to do!_ _Elena tried to discreetly watch him as he stood but failed when, as he was leaving, he winked at her. Oh yeah, he was definitely used to this!_

" _Did Damon Salvatore just wink at you?" Bonnie asked in confusion._

 _Elena's eyes followed him right out of the diner, until he was no longer in her line of sight._

" _Elena?"_

 _She couldn't help but smirk as she eyed her friend…._

July 2018

"I don't feel like telling the rest right now, Care. That will come later. Right now, maybe your suggestion to go clubbing wasn't so bad after all."

Caroline nodded. "Of course, if that's what you want. We can go to the Mystic Bar & Grill? There's a party there tonight?"

"Yes, please."

The first thing Elena heard as she entered the Bar was loud music. She knew that there would already be a crowd inside, as they were rather late. It had taken Caroline an insistent amount of time to dress up for this thing. Elena had just rolled her eyes and thrown on the first dress that came out of her closet.

"Now, let's get Salvatore off of your mind and find a nice and available man for you," Caroline suggested as they had donned their coats. "An acquaintance of mine from work said she would be here as well with some friends. Male friends.. Have I mentioned that most of her friends are single?"

Elena laughed at Caroline's attempts. She really was the best. All right, then. They were on the prowl for sex!

"Caroline! Good of you to come. Over here!"

A blonde bombshell was sitting at the bar, waving frantically at them.

"Rebecca! Of course, I wouldn't miss a party."

Elena watched as the two woman kissed each other on the cheek in greeting. So this was Caroline's co-worker then?

"Rebecca, I've brought my friend Elena with me. Elena, this is Rebecca, the co-worker I was telling you about."

"Yeah, hi."

There was something about the blonde that set Elena off.. she couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she was just… too much. She was too blonde, her lips too plump and her voice too sultry. Or maybe she was just being cranky and nitpicking.

"I'm just ordering, but my party is sitting back there. We'll go over there in a few," Rebecca explained.

Caroline grinned.

"Any single men in your party?"

"Of course, darling. However, there's one that I want for myself. I'll signal you which one when we get there, but the rest is all fair game."

"Fair enough."

Elena ordered herself an apple martini and waited for the two blondes to set their course towards the table full of men that Rebecca was talking about. She suddenly felt antsy. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all.

"All right, let's go," Rebecca announced.

Elena and Caroline followed her through a flock of bodies gyrating against each other. The atmosphere was humid and the thumping of the music resounded throughout the room. That's when they arrived at Rebecca's party and Elena froze.

No.. fucking.. way..

Just no…

There he was…

Damon... sitting at the table... and he was clearly Rebecca's love interest.

He could only stare back in equal surprise.

Elena had stopped so abruptly that Caroline bumped into her lightly. Her apple martini spilled over the edge and onto the floor somewhat.

No one seemed to notice their connection. Rebecca introduced everyone and her party greeted them politely, making room for them to join.

"Damon?" Rebecca asked softly, shaking Damon's shoulder lightly. "Are you all right, darling?"

"What?" Damon asked, distracted. Elena noticed how his eyes still hadn't left hers. They both seemed to be lost in their own little world. The music disappeared… the crowd disappeared.. it was just them, the same as two nights ago.

"Elena?"

Caroline noticed what was happening almost instantly - ever the dutiful friend, trying to make sure that she was okay- and she looked away from Rebecca's party, her eyes switching back and forth between Elena and Damon.

"Elena, are you all right?" Caroline asked softly. Her eyes narrowed. "Do you know him?"

Elena blinked away some tears, pricking her eyes, before looking at Caroline pointedly. Her friend immediately connected the dots.

"No…," she whispered. "Is that…?"

Elena nodded.

"Fuck!"

Elena felt like she couldn't breathe properly. It was suddenly too hot in here; her throat was tightening and her heart was pounding away in her chest. She had been so afraid of running into him again. It almost felt as if she had conjured him up with her worrying.

"Uhm, would you excuse us for a second? We'll be right back," Caroline announced, before pulling Elena away and pushing her towards the exit. Once outside, Elena wanted to scream.

"Why?! I was ready for a good and hot night out and then I run into him again. Why does this keep happening?"

Caroline put her hands on Elena's shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Okay, sweetie. This was a setback. But this is a small town and your bound to run into him on every street corner. That's Mystic Falls for you. However, it's up to you what you do with it. Toughen up, Elena. We can do this."

Elena felt like panicking. "I'm not going back inside! Have you seen him? He's with Rebecca, obviously. I do not want to have to watch that!"

"I've seen him, yeah. I hear you in that department; he's an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. But good looks mean nothing. Besides, you've heard Rebecca. She wants him, yes. But she was talking as if she hadn't landed him yet."

"What's up with him and blondes these days, anyways? He doesn't like blondes! He never did."

Caroline sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Do you want me to slap you in the face right now? Because I will! Who cares what Damon Salvatore's taste is these days! You march back in there, be a sexy little brunette and show him what he let go back then. Show him, Elena! I suggest we meet up with Rebecca, talk to her somewhat, thank her for the invitation and then go and find ourselves some men outside of her group and on the other side of the Bar. Deal?"

"All right," Elena grumbled.

"Good, push your tits out and hold your head up high."

Caroline and her statements… how Elena loved them! So they went back inside, talked to Rebecca and her friends a bit and quickly excused themselves to go talk to some people very far away from them. All the while, Elena hadn't looked at her ex-fiancé once. She almost wanted to congratulate herself.

His eyes never left hers, however. He seemed to be following her every move, as she could feel his eyes burning a hole in her back. Caroline was right; this was working. Maybe it was working a little too well, because men suddenly flocked to her and Caroline left and right. She enjoyed the attention; waving her hands high in the air as she danced freely to the music. One man came a little too close to her taste, putting his sweaty hands on her hips and breathing down her neck.

"Could you not?" she tried to be polite with the guy. He wasn't hearing it, though. He began to grind his hips against hers and she desperately fought to break free from his hold.

"Hey, she said 'no!' Let her go," Caroline tried to help.

Still, he continued his unwanted quest of her body. Elena elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to fall back somewhat.

"Don't be like that, baby. Let's play," the guy pouted at her.

Before he could put his hands on her again, a man stepped in front of her, blocking her from the guy's view. It was Damon..

"Back away," he ordered in that low, bossy voice that Elena had always found incredibly arousing. He towered over the unwanted guy, looking him square in the eye. The man was sizing Damon up, trying to see if he could take him.

"This is none of your concern, man. Find your own piece to pay with."

Damon shot him a menacing look. "I won't be repeating myself again. Walk away."

The man staggered forward, attempting to take a swing at Damon, who blocked the blow easily.

"Well, you seem to be a bit hard-headed, aren't you?" Damon almost growled. "Last warning. Try your fists on me again and you're on the floor."

The man didn't listen, probably too drunk to let the words sink in, and came forward once more. Damon didn't even give him a chance, quickly punching the man on the nose. Then, he turned towards Elena.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah…," Elena mumbled a dazed voice. Had he just…? For her? She looked over his shoulder towards Caroline, who was equally shocked. 'Holy shit!' she mouthed towards Elena.

Holy shit, indeed!

"What's going on here?"

Rebecca had suddenly joined them, looking at the scene in front of her in confusion.

"Rebecca, I'll be taking Elena home. Tell the other guys I'll see them later."

Uhm… wait.. what?!

"Elena, huh? So you _do_ know her!" Rebecca snapped.

Damon ignored her and took hold of Elena's elbow, stepping over the man who was still whimpering on the floor.

"Wait! Caroline came with me. I don't want to leave her alone," Elena protested, trying to get her arm out of his grip. He let go, but remained firm in wanting her out of there.

"I'll take her home as well, then."

He kept true to his word. Caroline was dropped off at her house, before they drove towards Elena's. The entire ride over there was quiet and Elena occasionally looked to her left to catch a glimpse of his face. What was going through his mind right now? Why was he taking her home? His face remained stoic, however.

"We're here."

Elena warily followed him up to her porch, finally deciding to confront him.

"What are you doing, Damon? Why are you here?"

He frowned at her.

"Well, I guess I failed at a feeble attempt of doing the right thing, then. Listen, I'm not trying to be a hero, Elena. I don't do good; that's not in me."

"You've got that right," Elena said under her breath. He heard her, but chose to ignore it.

"But tonight I found myself wanting to protect you from that guy. How does that happen?"

There was a moment of heavy silence and Elena felt her heart began to pound wildly in her chest with the look that he was giving her. She stuck out her chin defiantly.

"Maybe you're trying to make up for the way you treated me 10 years ago," she shot at him.

He gave her an unreadable smile. Then, he turned around to leave.

"Damon?"

"Yeah?"

Elena sighed and wrung her hands together. "For what it's worth… 10 years ago aside… Thank you. For tonight, I mean."

Damon nodded at her and proceeded towards his car. Elena watched him go, for whatever reason. Her eyes fell on his broad shoulders, his dark hair and his domineering posture. Her gaze remained locked on him until he was back at his car. Just before he got in he gave her one last lingering look. Then, he was gone…..

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Elena felt a little absentminded as she stared out of the window at her office. What happened a few nights ago was still on her mind. Damon had interfered with the man bothering her at the Mystic Bar & Grill and had made sure that she was okay. Why? He could have stayed in his corner and payed attention towards Rebekah. Instead, he had chosen to help her and had taken her home. He didn't have to do that. Was Damon Salvatore becoming a bit soft around his hard exterior?

"Are you all right?" her co-worker, Matt Donovan asked her, as he seemed to notice her distraction.

"Yeah, sorry."

"That's okay. You just looked as if you were a million miles away. Did you prepare for the meeting?"

Elena leafed through some papers on her desk.

"I did."

From the corner of her eye she spotted her boss, Mr. Harrison packing up and she frowned. Was he going somewhere?

"Is Mr. Harrison taking a long vacation or something? He's packing up things from his office."

Matt followed her gaze.

"Yes, didn't you hear? Some hot shot's company bought Mystic Publishing a few days ago and the first thing they did was sack the big guy over there."

"You're shitting me, right? I mean, I knew about the sale, but Mr. Harrison? He's a fantastic editor!"

"I agree, but I guess that company that bought us doesn't. I feel sorry for the guy, but I try to look on the bright side; at least we weren't fired."

"Yet! Who knows what this company will do to us!"

Matt gave Elena a lopsided smile.

"Well, if we all get fired I guess you should take me up on my offer to go out for a drink together real soon. Because then I wouldn't be able to afford it."

He had said it in a light tone, but Elena knew that he was serious. Matt Donovan had liked her from the moment he had set eyes on her and hadn't exactly made a secret out of it. He was the kind of guy who would worship you and keep you safe from the big, bad world out there. Ergo, he was perfect and sweet, said all the right things at the right time… and Elena didn't feel anything. Character wise, he was everything she was looking for in a man, so why couldn't she force this matter? Why did she have to fall for the assholes like Damon Salvatore?

Elena didn't answer Matt; she just gave him a smile and walked over towards Mr. Harrison's office.

"Oh Elena, come in," he said as she knocked on his door. He looked dead tired.

"Is it true?" Elena asked. "Are you being let go?"

Mr. Harrison slumped down behind his desk and sighed.

"I'm afraid so. They said that there wasn't room for me here anymore."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Harrison."

He shrugged.

"That's the way the world works, dear. Some guy shows up with money and there's nothing you can do. Don't feel sorry for me, I'll find something else. At least no one else was fired that I know of."

Elena sat down in the chair across from him and felt this nagging feeling in the back of her head. She just had to ask…

"Mr. Harrison.. what company bought us? Do you know?"

Mr. Harrison pushed his glasses a bit further up his nose and frowned.

"I believe it was called 'Salvatore Enterprises…'"

It wasn't very difficult for Elena to figure out that the Salvatore's had kept their boarding house property on the outskirts of town. It was, however, very puzzling to her why she was standing on the doorstep right at that moment, holding her fist mid-air, ready to knock. She had been standing like that for minutes now, debating what to do. There really was no need to be here; she could have done this over the phone or via email. It would have been easier that way. And yet… there she was. Was it degrading to be there? The best way to deal with her ex being in town was to just live her life, not to stand there like a nervous school girl. What was she hoping to get out of it?

Before she had a chance to tell herself to back away, her hand knocked on its' own accord. Oh well, maybe he wasn't home. No harm done. There, the door wasn't opening… Elena quickly turned around and almost wanted to run down the gravel path when the door indeed opened.

"Elena?" Damon's questioning voice sounded behind her.

Time to face the music then. She turned to face him and had to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor on the spot. He was half-naked. As in wet droplets trickling down his chest as a towel deliciously clung to his hips. Her eyes followed those droplets against her will, landing on his happy trail…

"Are you enjoying the scenery or…?"

His amused voice shook her out of her trance and she took a deep breath.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting you to be naked. Do you always open doors like that?" she snapped, trying to cover for the fact that she was a little impressed with his pecs.

"I do when I'm not expecting company. Did you want to come in?"

He was way too much for her, with the way he was leaning against the doorframe, obviously not in the least bit shy about his appearance. She breezed past him, immediately making her way towards the living room. She flopped down on the couch, looking around in awe. It was unreal to see how the Salvatore boarding house hadn't really changed at all since she had last been inside. It was like stepping back in time. She wouldn't step back in time with Damon, though.

"So… why are you here, exactly?" Damon asked.

"Would you mind putting on some clothes first?"

He sighed a dramatic sigh.

"Fine. I'll be right back."

With Damon heading upstairs, it gave her some time to inspect the boarding house a little more thorough. There were pictures of the family scattered across the mantle; Giuseppe, Stefan and Damon. The perfect trio. At least, that's the way that Giuseppe had always wanted it to appear. Elena knew better. He was a tough man, very hard on his firstborn and spoiling the other one. Stefan had always been the favorite son and was allowed to do whatever he wanted. Damon needed to stay in line and take over the company. The two brothers were often played against each other and it had caused a rift between them back then. However, Elena had heard they had worked it out over the course of time. There was also a picture of them as two young boys on the mantle. Elena smiled at the innocent look Damon was giving the camera. Oh, how things had changed for that little boy…

"All right, I'm somewhat decent."

Damon entered the living room with some dark jeans on and a black shirt that was left unbuttoned. It would have to do.

Elena sat back down on the couch. Her ex-fiancé was giving her a curious look and she took a deep breath.

"Your company is buying things left and right here in Mystic Falls. Why?"

"Uhm, why not?" Damon raised his eyebrows at her. "You know what we do at Salvatore Enterprises. We buy and we sell."

"Yes and you break apart. Your company has bought my publishing office. Stop this, Damon. That is my life's work and I will be damned if you ruin this for me as well!"

Damon leaned back in his seat, his open shirt revealing even more in this position. Elena tried not to notice as she glared at him.

"Well, Elena. I wasn't aware of the fact that you work for Mystic Publishing. Good for you! You've always wanted a career in writing and books and what not."

"Don't go acting all diminishing, Salvatore. Why are you dead set on becoming my boss?"

Elena wanted to knock the smirk that was beginning to appear off of his face. God, he was so infuriating!

"What are your plans for the office, Damon?"

Damon poured himself a bourbon and took a sip, before eying her with amusement.

"I've always wanted to own a publishing office, Elena."

"Bullshit!" Elena got up and towered over her ex. "You're doing this to spite me. Why? Haven't you done enough ten years ago? Why couldn't you have stayed the hell out of my life!"

Damon stood up as well.

"This isn't about you. This is about how I do business; I see something that I want and I go and get it. There's nothing you can do, Elena. Mystic Publishing has been bought and it's final."

"What about Mr. Harrison? He's the sweetest editor and you're just going to throw him out of business to become boss of a small town company? You are the most vile man that I have ever known!"

"That's not what you said to me a few nights ago."

Elena wanted to growl at him.

"That was because I was thanking you for saving my ass from that horrible man. Don't read too much into that. This was a dick move, Damon Salvatore, and you know it!"

"Again, Elena; this is business. You sometimes have to be ruthless to get ahead. Mr. Harrison would have had your office circling down the drain if I hadn't stepped in. There will be a new and better editor hired soon. You should be thanking me for that."

"You're an ass!"

It dawned on Elena how close they were standing together and became very aware of his lips being nothing but a few inches away from hers. They were both breathing heavily from their fighting and she didn't like were this could take her. Damon noticed as well as his eyes were transfixed in her tongue, licking her suddenly too dry lips.

"Look, I might be your boss on paper but I won't interfere in everyday business over there."

"Right. You'll just drop by every now and then."

Damon smiled at her.

"I had forgotten how feisty you can get when you're angry. The way your cheeks turn red and you crease your eyebrows together… "

Elena wanted to push him away, but he grabbed her arms to stop her.

"This is not the time to take a trip down memory lane, Damon."

"I see it in your eyes, Elena. It's there and you can't hide it."

"Hide what?" Elena frowned at him.

He just continued to smirk in that cocky way of his.

"This is all just a game to you, isn't it? To see if you can still rile me up? You treat people like they are toys, Damon!"

"Oh, I see that I can rile you up just fine. I've always been able to do that. The only difference is, back in the day.. this would end a little differently."

Damon leaned a little closer towards her and Elena could feel his breath on her face. She needed to go and leave all of this behind. They were toxic… _he_ was toxic. However, her feet felt as if they were caught in cement. They wouldn't move. Her chest was heaving as she glared at him. He still had her arms caught in his grip.

"You're trembling, Elena. Why?"

His voice was so sultry and Elena wanted to close her eyes, groan and just give in. But she couldn't do that. He couldn't have that satisfaction. She suddenly yanked her arms out of his hold and took a few steps back, putting space between them.

"All right," Damon said to himself. "Too soon. You can walk out of here right now, Elena. But you'll be back. It's just a matter of time…"

"Fuck you!" Elena yelled, before opening the front door. She almost ran towards her car….

 _What was it about this man that had made her leave with him so soon? It wasn't like her to go all out on the first night. Yet here she was, in Damon Salvatore's bed after she had run into him at a club. It had been their first run-in since she had laid eyes on him at the diner. He had recognized her, they had danced and now… now he was giving it to her like there was no tomorrow._

 _He was a patient lover… he took his time exploring… seeing what would evoke a response from her. Elena felt like coming on the spot when she felt him suckling her nipple in earnest, while setting her nether regions on fire with his palm. That would be like her umpteenth orgasm of the night.. she had lost count after four. This man was skilled and she reveled in it. When he finally entered her, he made her feel each inch. Surely, she wouldn't be able to walk afterwards, but right now, she couldn't care less. He had her up on her knees while thrusting into her from behind. She could feel his powerful legs surging against her, his muscles flexing from the effort of satisfying her. When she finally toppled over the edge again, she couldn't move anymore. After trying to catch her breath for a few minutes, she tried to look up at the sexy man who flopped down next to her._

" _You've killed me. That was… at the risk of sounding cheesy… amazing," Elena managed to get out. He smirked at her._

" _You're a mysterious man, Damon Salvatore. I don't have you figured out yet."_

 _Damon took her face in his hand, rubbing her cheek with his thumb._

" _We'll have plenty of time for that. What are your plans for tomorrow night?" he winked at her._

 _Elena already knew at that point that this would be one hell of a ride…_

 **A/N: Sorry, the flashbacks will be longer in the future! But for now, please review! xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

A connection… how did that all come together? Was it something that clicked inside of the brain? Was it hormones, rushing through your body? Science had no conclusive answer to it; yes, it was chemicals inside of your head. But was that really all there was to it? How did it really happen, when your gaze landed upon someone just as ordinary as the next guy? Why did this particular man cause all of those emotions?

Of course, the man she was looking at right now was anything but ordinary. She knew him… Well, in the sense that she hardly knew anything about him these days, but she had known him in every way that counted years ago. Everyone thought that she was practically a saint. However, that man, standing nothing but a few feet away from her, had made her commit all kinds of sins.

Why was he here? He had promised her that he would only be her boss on paper, yet here he was, having a meeting in the room opposite from her desk. The room was transparent, sadly, with windows that were floor-to-ceiling.. and the sight of her ex-fiancé made it seriously difficult for her to concentrate.

She had seen him in a suit before back then, when he was still working his way towards success. It was nothing compared to the powerhouse that he was right now. His broad shoulders filled out his shirt in ways that plagued her dreams at night. The way that he was standing there, ordering everyone around was… well, for a lack of a better word: sexy.

She had to remind herself that this man was her ex, indeed, and there had been a very good reason for that. He was self-absorbed, callous, brash and an insensitive jerk.

"He's ridiculously hot!" Jenna, one of Elena's co-workers whispered into her ear. "I can't believe that he's our boss now!"

Elena chewed on her pen, groaning inwardly.

"I'm more interested in what he'll do to our company. You do know that he owns the type of corporation that buys other people's companies to sell them into tiny little pieces to the highest bidder, right?"

"No, I don't think that he would do that," Jenna uttered.

"Why? Because he's hot? Those are the ones you have to be extra careful with, Jenna."

Jenna leaned a bit closer towards Elena, giggling a bit like a schoolgirl.

"Please! Don't tell me that you would pass up the chance for a roll in the hay with that one!"

Elena rolled her eyes and buried her head in her hands.

"I already did that," she whispered.

Jenna almost fell off of her chair with that statement, having apparently overheard exactly what she had mumbled.

"Hold on, wait! What now?! Explain, please!"

Elena gave her ex one more glance, before revealing what her relation was to 'the boss.' "I was engaged to him once."

Jenna's eyes seemed to bulge right out of her sockets.

"You were engaged to _that_?!" she said, pointing her finger into Damon's direction. "Holy cow, Elena! How on earth did you give someone like that up?!"

Of course, Damon chose that particular time to look out the window and see the two women talk about him. He quietly raised his eyebrows at Elena.

"Oh, lots of reasons," she fessed up, her eyes never leaving Damon's. "But I think the main one was the fact that he was a complete ass."

"Oh yes, what an ass it is, indeed!" Jenna laughed at her own pun. "I'm sorry. I'm being insensitive."

"Can we let it go? Who knows why he bought this business? To spite me? Or to sell? I don't know. What I do know is that I don't like the fact that he's hanging around here right now."

"Maybe he wants you back," Jenna sighed with a dreamy smile on her face.

"Maybe you are still stuck in the days when you liked to read about fairytales."

"Oh come on! You haven't thought about it? It's really uncanny how he manages to buy a publishing office in a dump like Mystic Falls, when he could have bought any number of businesses in some major city."

Elena frowned. Of course, Jenna did have a point there. Why buy a small business when he could have broken apart some major corporation? It didn't make sense. There was barely anything to break apart here. Maybe he wanted to prove to himself that he could still win her over, even if she hated his guts. Maybe this was a game to him. Did he need his ego built by making her succumb to him?

"I'll let you think about that one," Jenna grinned, before getting back to work.

No, that wasn't the case. He didn't want her back; she had already seen him with numerous women while he had been in town. No shortage of attention there. But her last idea about him playing a game with her did keep on running inside of her head.

"Thank you for your time," she overheard Damon say as the door to the meeting room opened. "I'm sure we'll work this one out."

She glanced at the party as they left, leaving her ex standing there in the doorway. God, he looked like he owned everything! Of course, in this office space, that was indeed the case. When he turned to look at her, she cursed at the way her body reacted. Why did her heart jump a little when his eyes landed on hers? Why was there a slight tremble in her hands? Why did her panties pool when he was in his 'boss-mode?'

"Elena," he calmly acknowledged her with a nod, before turning around and stepping back into the room behind him.

Elena took a deep breath, shaking her head. Her mind was getting the best of her and she still needed to do some work here. Maybe it was better to just have some lunch first and relax. That would do the trick. She quickly grabbed her purse and set off for the diner that was next to their building. Sitting down at a table in the corner, she ordered a club sandwich and quietly waited. Of course, then he walked in.

"What are you doing here?!" Elena snapped as he walked by, chagrined about the fact that she couldn't seem to escape him.

Damon frowned, looking around a bit. "Uhm? Lunchtime?" he stated.

Of course he had every right to be here and she was overreacting. But still… why now? Why couldn't he have come an hour later?

"And here I was, hoping that I could eat my lunch in peace."

He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not here to bother you, Elena. My usual spot is over there. It's not like I'm going to sit here with you and reminisce about the past. You have my word."

Elena's mouth snapped shut at that. Had she just been put down by Damon Salvatore? Her eyes followed him as he casually strolled towards his table, not even once looking back at her. Plenty of eyes were on him, though, Elena noted. There were several women checking him out left and right and he saw it happening. He smiled back at one of them and Elena felt her stomach flip. Ugh, did she have to watch this?

"Your club sandwich, ma'am," the waiter interrupted her musings.

"Yes, thank you."

She really tried not to, but for some reason she couldn't stop looking at Damon. The question of 'why' hung in the air for her. Ten years later and yet, she wanted to know. He had never given her a real reason for why he broke off their engagement and it hadn't bothered her since.. until now. He had turned from hot to cold overnight. She had assumed it had something to do with his father not agreeing to their relationship, but he had evaded all of those questions back then. He had simply said that it was over and had walked out of her life. That was that. Now she was forced to be confronted with him on a regular basis, those questions rose back up inside of her. Of course, to ask them now would be futile. It had indeed been ten years. If she asked, it would appear as if she hadn't moved on.

"Okay, if you're going to keep on staring at me, I'll sit with you. I can't concentrate otherwise. It's kind of funny, though. This is the exact way that we met; you staring at me in some diner in Mystic Falls."

Damon leaned back in his chair opposite from her and smirked a bit.

"I thought you weren't here to reminisce about the past?" Elena retorted.

He shrugged. "I wasn't. But like I said; being here with you kind of brings it up anyway."

Elena crossed her arms in front of her chest, as if to protect herself from him.

"I've got nothing to say about the past," she lied.

Damon ordered a coffee, before turning his attention back towards her.

"Really? Because the way you're sometimes spewing venom at me tells me otherwise."

"Well, what do you expect, Damon? Friendliness? Not gonna happen."

"Because I broke off the engagement."

"Because of the way you did it!" Elena almost snarled.

Here she was, having vowed to herself that she would never let Damon Salvatore get to her again and here he was, getting to her. She couldn't stay calm when he was around. The past swam in front of her eyes and it threatened to drown her.

" _I don't think that it is right for us to get married," Damon suddenly said._

 _Elena looked up at him. "Huh? What?"_

" _We shouldn't. This is not the time."_

 _He was sitting across from her, his elbows on his knees in a casual matter._

" _Okay… do you want to wait?" Elena shook her head in confusion. "We don't have to do it right now, you know. We could hold it off for a year or two… until you are settled in your father's business."_

" _I'm saying that we shouldn't get married. Like you said; I should focus on the business. That's what's important right now."_

 _Okay, now he was simply being a dick. He could at least be a little more informative!_

" _Well, what do you want to do then?"_

" _I think we should both go our separate ways."_

 _Elena's mouth positively fell open at his words. He was blankly staring at the wall, purposely avoiding her gaze. His hands were suddenly clenched into tight fists, making Elena wonder if there was more to it than this._

" _Okay, what is this? Is this a joke?"_

 _When he didn't answer her, she realized it wasn't. This was really happening._

" _Don't you love me anymore?" she quietly whispered, a few tears beginning to make their way down her face. He still wouldn't look at her. Why wouldn't he look at her?_

" _Sometimes, love isn't enough."_

 _She could hear him draw in a shaky breath as silent sobs made her body hiccup with the force of them._

" _I'm sorry. I just… I'm sorry."_

" _So that's it, then? No other explanation other than 'love isn't enough?'"_

 _He got up off the couch and poured himself a bourbon, a drink that had always been his favorite._

" _I don't know what you want to hear, Elena. The wedding is off. I'm heading towards New York with my father and brother. I don't want to pull you from your life here, there's no discussion in that."_

 _Elena flew to his side and knocked the drink out of his hand, making it land on the carpet._

" _And you didn't think to ask me first, before you made this decision? I could come with you! What is the big deal here? Is it your father? Is he being a pain in the ass again? Please don't do this, Damon," she pleaded, grasping at his shirt._

 _She realized that she was begging, but to her, it didn't matter in that moment._

" _I want my life to be with you."_

" _I don't."_

 _His said it in a matter-of-fact voice and his stoic appearance broke her heart into tiny little pieces._

" _You don't want to be with me?" She hated how small she sounded._

 _She thought she saw something flash in his eyes as she asked him this, but he turned his head away before she could really see._

" _I can't believe you're breaking up with me."_

 _Damon quietly picked up the glass that she had knocked from his hand and put it back on the table. Apparently, it hadn't broken apart. Unlike them…_

" _Look, to make things easier… my flight to New York takes off two days after tomorrow. We don't have to be around each other."_

" _Do you think that I care about that? Fine! Go to New York. You know, I never had you pegged for a complete jerk, but here you are."_

" _Okay, hate me if that makes things easier."_

" _Oh, I hate you, Damon Salvatore. I will hate you for the rest of my life!" she yelled. She then turned around and walked out of the front door… out of his life, for good…_

Elena had to bite her cheek to keep her tears from spilling over. He was eyeing her in a serious matter as she desperately tried to compose herself.

"For what it's worth, I _am_ sorry. At that time, it was necessary."

"Here you go again with the puzzling, evasive answers. What do you mean; it was necessary?" Elena snapped.

When he paused, obviously scrambling around for a reply, she wanted to throttle him! She suddenly knocked her chair back and got up, not feeling very hungry anymore.

"You know what, that was ten years ago. I've moved on and so have you, obviously. Enjoy your lunch, Damon."

With those words, she walked out the door, just like back then. This time around, though, he followed her. Just as she passed around the corner, heading back into their office space, he grabbed onto her arm and pulled her into one of the restrooms. He locked the door behind them.

"What are you doing! Could you let go of me?" she hissed at him.

She was desperately pounding against his chest with her free arm, trying to get away from him. There was no use, though. He was too strong for her as he pulled her against his broad chest. He hesitated for a second, but then he came clean.

"I'm sorry for what I said back then and the way I said it. I did it because… well, there was just no other way. I had to be short and to the point. Otherwise… Look, there's a reason why I never looked at you during that whole conversation; a reason why I never answered your questions about if I loved you or wanted to be with you. I did! But there was just no way, okay? I did love you."

Elena felt her lips part slightly in surprise. _What_?!

"I loved you, okay? I just didn't have a choice."

They both felt it… that shift in the air as Elena felt some of her hate towards him subside a bit and attraction took over. Suddenly, her body was highly aware of the way his was pressed against her. Her heart drummed in her chest and her skin broke out in goosebumps. His gaze fell on her parted lips and he leaned closer every so slightly. He was going to kiss her…

Then, Elena broke the spell by pushing him away. She couldn't let him in. Not again.

"I'm going back," she said resolutely. "Leave me alone."

 _Must be love on the brain,_

 _that's got me feeling this way_

 _It beats me black and blue,_

 _but it fucks me so good and I can't get enough._

 **A/N: So this was a long time coming. Sorry about the slow updates. I have a young daughter and she can sometimes make it a little hard for me to find the time to write.** **I hope you like this one. We're getting into what happened between Damon and Elena and Damon is obviously holding onto a secret. Why did he leave her if he loved her? Does he still love her and want her back? Who knows… Leave me a review and find out next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

Elena was headed for the Mystic Grill, keeping her coat thoroughly closed on this cold night. Tonight was the office Christmas party; an annual gathering that her office held every year. There would be snacks and beverages and everyone had the chance to engage in conversation with co-workers that weren't in the vicinity of your own desk. It was a fun thing. It was, however, the first year without Mr. Harrison… and the first year with Damon Salvatore. She had been a complete mess at work that day because of what he had said. She had stared at her computer screen for what seemed like ages and nothing had come out of her. Damon's words wouldn't leave her alone. He had said that he had still loved her when he broke things off with her… that he didn't have a choice. What did that mean? And why did those words affect her in the first place?

She hadn't seen him since that whole conversation weeks ago. It had all drifted towards the back of her mind until she had learned that he would be at the Christmas party tonight. Now, his words kept on playing in her head over and over again.

The thought of seeing him tonight made her nervous. It seemed as if her entire body was highly aware of her surroundings, waiting for him to make an appearance.

"Elena! Wait up!"

Matt Donovan came up around the corner and rushed over towards her.

"God, it's cold suddenl… Wow, look at you!"

Elena smiled at the look on his face. She knew that she looked good; her hair was curled for the occasion and she was wearing slightly more make-up than usual. Not so much that she looked artificial, but enough to accentuate her features. Underneath her coat, she wore a tight red dress that hugged her curves perfectly. She had dressed for a fun night out and she intended to live up to it!

"Let's get inside," she said.

The Mystic Grill buzzed with all the activity of people laughing and talking. Christmas music was quietly playing in the background and the place was decorated according to season. It was a good atmosphere and Elena smiled.

"Can I take your coat?" Matt asked behind her.

She nodded gratefully and shrugged out of the garment, before giving it to him.

"Elena!" Jenna yelled excitedly, as she came over to greet her co-worker. "Can you believe that as of today, my vacation had begun? Aspen, here I come!"

"Yeah, you lucky woman. I'll be thinking of you while I'm stuck at the office."

"And I'll be thinking of you while I'm up on my ski's. Besides, maybe you won't have it so bad back here at home. Maybe our big boss will join you at the office to do some work."

Elena rolled her eyes at the wink that Jenna was giving her.

"We've had this conversation before, Jenna. Me and Damon.. that was years ago. And no, there is no plot going on to win me back over."

"He's here, you know," Jenna almost giggled, obviously having already dipped a little too deep into the eggnog. "He's looking soooo fine!"

"Are you ladies talking about me?" Matt said in a teasing voice as he joined their group.

"Oh Matt, you look fine as well," Jenna reassured him. "But there's no comparing to the big guy, you know."

Matt raised his eyebrows. "You mean Mr. Salvatore?"

"I think that Jenna has a little crush on him," Elena laughed.

"Oh hush now! I'm allowed to appreciate a good-looking man when I see him."

Elena could feel him before she even saw him. It was uncanny how her skin startled to prickle with the knowledge that he was there somewhere, behind her. Unable to help herself, she turned halfway around until he came into her line of vision. Jenna was right; he did look amazing. He was wearing dark slacks and a white shirt that was left unbuttoned at the top, exposing just a hint of his chest. Her eyes lifted upwards towards his face. He was talking to some woman that was giving him her complete attention. There was always some woman around when it came to Damon Salvatore. He probably couldn't even help it; they seemed to fall at his feet nowadays.

"Let's get to the bar and order a drink," Elena quickly said, tearing her eyes away from his.

"Oh, now we're talking!"

She stayed at said bar for the remainder of the night, talking to Matt, Jenna and some other co-workers that she vaguely knew. The alcohol in her system produced a nice buzz and she felt herself relax for the first time that day. A few hours later, she was actually getting a little drunk and she wasn't the only one. There was kissing going on underneath a mistletoe that had been put up.

Matt Donovan tried to do the same. He was drunkenly hanging on Elena's shoulder, reaching for his own mistletoe.

"Kiss me, Elena," he whined, as he puckered his lips.

Both Jenna and Elena hiccupped with laughter.

"You're so drunk, you probably don't even know how to kiss anymore!"

"Come here and I'll show you."

Elena patted him on the head and smiled.

"Santa won't approve."

"What do you think Santa does with Mrs. Claus?" Matt piped up.

"I don't think that I want to know about that."

Elena stuck out her tongue at her co-worker and downed another drink.

"I need to go to the bathroom. Be right back!" she hollered.

She went to the back of the Grill, towards where the restrooms were and almost tripped over someone.

Of course, it had to be Damon Salvatore. He quickly caught hold of her arms, before she could fall towards the ground.

"Easy there," he rumbled in that deep voice of his.

"Hello, big boss. Are you having fun at our little company party?"

Damon searched her eyes.

"Are you drunk? Don't you think that it's time to wrap this up then? Come on, I'll call you a cab."

"I'm not _that_ drunk! At least, no more drunk than half of the people here and I don't see you calling _them_ a cab. I don't want to go yet."

Elena tried to break free from him, but he wouldn't budge.

"Why are you so strong nowadays?" she mumbled. "You've got muscles now that I've never seen before."

An amused smile crossed Damon's features. "Yeah, well… Now is not the time to get reacquainted with them. Come on, let's get you home."

Elena stood her ground and gave him a glare. "I think that you heard me the first time, Salvatore. I'm going to have myself a little dance and when I think the time is right, I've got my own cab just waiting around the corner. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you."

He was still towering over her, holding her upper arms in his grip.

"You can let go now," she reminded him firmly.

He did as she told him and she quickly made herself scarce. Her friends were already on the dancefloor when she got back. The quiet background Christmas music had made way for Queen with 'Another one bites the dust' and Matt was doing this funny dance to it. Oh, there were many people going to be a bit embarrassed come Monday morning!

Elena joined Jenna and Matt and threw her hands high in the air, enjoying the feeling of not having a care in the world. Damon was off somewhere to the side, watching her, and she felt it. His eyes never seemed to leave her and her heart was doing crazy things because of it. She remembered the last time that they were in here, when he had beaten up some guy for her and had taken her home afterwards. Well, she wasn't going home with him now. No way!

* * *

The first thing Elena noticed, was the incessant pounding of her head as she tried to open her eyes. A wave of nausea hit her full force and all she wanted to do right then and there was to bury herself underneath a pile of pillows and never come out of bed again. What the hell did she do last night?

The massive headache made it difficult for her to remember how she had gotten home. Well, at the very least she had made it to her bed, right? She rubbed her eyes tiredly, willing her head to stop hurting so much.

A plopping sound could be heard, coming from the nightstand and Elena reached blindly for it, knowing that it was her phone. Had her friends gotten home safely? Had they all shared a cab? After a bit of scrambling around, her fingers wrapped around the phone and she pulled it up towards her face. She gave it one more try to open her eyes without hurling.

 _Elena! I hope you don't wake up with too much of a hangover. I'm good.. a bit of a headache, but hey! What a party! And I just knew that you would give in to the big boss one day. I won't fish for details and I'm not curious at all! Have a great day with Mr. Sexy! Xoxo Jenna._

Wait… WHAT?!

Elena bolted upright in bed; a move she regretted instantly as her entire body seemed to protest. Bright flashes of light seemed to pierce her eyes and then bolted upwards, right into her brain.

"Ouch," she whispered, as she put her hands in front of her eyes.

"That's your own fault. I warned you to get home but you didn't," an obnoxious voice came from the doorway.

Well, crap! So she _had_ spent the night with Damon.

"I've got some aspirin here. Take it," she heard him say as she tried to peek between the fingers of her hands.

He was standing in front of her, fully dressed luckily, and was holding a glass of water for her. The next thing she saw was that she wasn't in her own house. She was in his…

"What the hell happened, Damon?" she moaned, as she took the glass and the aspirin from him, quickly downing it.

"Relax," he said.

"How can I relax when I'm in your bed!"

Raising her voice also proved to be a very bad idea.

"Look. Take your time to get adjusted and let the aspirin kick in. We'll talk later."

She watched as he turned around, ready to exit the room.

"Why did you take me to your house, Damon?"

Damon paused in the doorway, but didn't turn around to face her.

"Like I said; we'll talk later," he told her firmly. Then, he was gone again.

Elena wanted to run, bolt out of here as if she were being chased by outlaws. But her body was way too slow and in pain to catch up. She gently swung her feet over the side of the bed and waited for her stomach to settle. Then, she carefully walked over towards the bathroom. She still remembered where it was after all these years. Damon had had some updates done to it, but it was basically still the same. She glanced at herself in the mirror and was appalled at what she saw; her hair was a bird's nest on top of her head and her face looked gaunt. Also, she smelled really bad!

That wasn't the only thing that shocked her, though.. She wasn't wearing her red party dress anymore. Instead, she was wearing one of Damon's shirts!

"Oh God!"

Had he undressed her? Did they make love? What an earth had they done together? She quickly rummaged around, searching for washcloths and towels, before hopping into the shower. She hoped Damon wouldn't mind, but she positively reeked!

" _We've never done it in the shower before," Damon whispered into her ear, as he hugged her from behind. She could feel his hardness between her ass cheeks as the water cascaded onto their backs. She closed her eyes as he rubbed circles on her belly with the soap bar that he was holding._

" _You're right, we haven't. Maybe we can change that fact," Elena groaned._

 _Warmth spread across her belly as he gently kissed her neck. One of his hands slid down her body, until it gently cupped her sex. The other hand tangled itself into her hair, before he pulled her in for a toe-curling kiss. Then, he began to tease her, dancing his fingers across her clitoris._

" _Put your hands on the wall and hold on," she heard him whisper, and she could do nothing but comply. Then, he plunged a finger inside, while pressing he heel of his hand against her nub. He was soft at first.. gentle. But then he upped the tempo, while sliding another finger inside. Before she knew it, she was quivering in his arms._

 _This was how it was supposed to be.. she had found her other half. Her soul connected with his in a way that was beyond her comprehension. She would never want anyone else for as long as she lived._

" _I love you," he said for the very first time…_

Elena wanted to scream when she couldn't help but remember that time.. that time were they had been happy together. This house was full of those memories. She really needed to get out of here! Why did he bring her here?

She quickly finished off in the shower and dried off. To her surprise, her red dress had been neatly folded and placed on the bed, having obviously been washed and prepared for her to wear it again. Had Damon done all of this?

"If you're ready and your stomach is settled, I've got some coffee if you want," she could hear him say from downstairs.

She didn't know about the coffee, but she sure wanted to talk. Not just about last night, but also about his little reveal that he had still loved her when he left her. Her heart thumped in her chest as she made it down the stairs with unsure steps.

He seemed to look impeccable as she approached him, with dark jeans that hugged his behind perfectly.

"Thank you for the dress," she quietly said. "I don't know what happened to it, but thanks for washing it."

Damon turned around with a bit of a smirk on his face and she immediately regretted being kind towards him. He didn't have to laugh at her!

"You threw up on it. I couldn't very well let you sleep in it, so I put it in the washing machine."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "So you took my clothes off?"

"Well, yes Elena," Damon began, as he leaned down on the counterspace. "There were chunks stuck to it. I think that if I had left it on, you would have thrown up again this morning just from the sight of it."

Elena leaned down on the counter as well, facing off with him.

"I promise that I didn't peek.. well, too much. I took off the dress and put one of my shirts on you."

"So nothing happened between us?"

"A lot happened.. but we didn't have sex, no."

Elena breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"I know you think that I have this reputation, Elena, but I generally don't have sex with women who are in that state."

She watched as he turned around and reached for another round of coffee.

"So what did happen then? Did you drive? And why take me here and not bring me home?"

"I drove. I stuck to water for the evening. Very boring, I know. But as I noticed how some were behaving…" Damon stopped talking to give her a knowing look. "I decided to keep my head clear. Besides, I'm the boss. I can't be seen kissing drunkenly underneath a Christmas ornament."

Elena nodded.

"Okay, so you were sober and saw that I was… not. I do remember you warning me to get home, but then I didn't. After that, it's all blank."

"You don't need to remember everything, Elena. All you need to know is that nothing happened and that you don't have to be embarrassed on Monday morning. Come, I'll take you home."

He grabbed hold of his car keys and she narrowed her eyes at him. "If you're in such a hurry to get my out of here right now, why did you take me here with you last night? You had me in your car and you know where I live. I had my purse with me, so you could have found my keys in there."

Damon ran a hand through his hair.

"Because there were a bunch of keys in your purse, Elena. I didn't want to have to stand there in the dark, fumbling around and trying out 25 different keys, while you were blowing chunks. There was vomit all over you and my car. I just wanted to get home and clean it. Which I did. So if you want me to apologize for taking you here, I will. I'm sorry. But I didn't sleep in the bed with you; I tidied up Stefan's old room and slept there. Okay?"

"And you stayed in your room and I stayed in mine all night, right?"

Elena had to ask.. she had to check, because she had this feeling. When she saw him hesitate for a second, she knew that she was right.

"I knew it. Something did happen."

"Not in the way that you think."

He left the kitchen and she was quick on his tail, not wanting him to escape her.

"In what way was it, then? Tell me! I feel horrible. I got this text from my co-worker about me giving in to you. Did I?"

"Did you…what?"

"Did I give in to you!"

She wanted to punch him when he casually began to put his jacket on, ready to get out.

"Define giving in to me. We had a good talk together and some things were cleared up. I'd like to think that drunken people tell the truth. I actually enjoyed the way that we spoke to each other and I don't want to ruin it with your regrets later."

Just like that, it suddenly all came back to her….

" _My friends..," Elena reminded Damon._

" _I've called a cab for them. The bartender will watch them and make sure that they get into the cab safely. Right now, you're my priority."_

 _Elena sat down on a bench outside the Grill and crossed her arms._

" _I don't want to get into a car with you anymore," she pouted._

" _Why is that?"_

" _Because you confuse me!"_

 _It was probably the alcohol talking, since Elena had blurted it out before she could stop it. Damon came to sit down next to her and gave her a serious look._

" _I confuse you?" he inquired._

" _Well, yeah! You come back here after ten years, looking incredibly hot and then you say things like; 'I still loved you when I broke up with you.' What am I supposed to make of that?"_

" _You think that I'm hot?"_

 _Elena saw the grin on his face and wanted to punch it right off._

" _Of course.. out of all that I have said, that is what you've heard. You are incorrigible! Where is your company, by the way? Why are you taking me home when there's this lady inside, waiting for you?"_

 _Damon frowned, obviously not understanding what she was getting at._

" _You were talking to a woman tonight. You didn't come with her?"_

" _Well no, Elena. I know what my reputation says about me, but I do, on occasion, simply talk to a woman without having an ulterior motive. Not every woman winds up in my bed."_

 _He sounded earnest, but Elena gave him a wary look. Yes, he had a reputation. People talked and wrote about him._

" _Come on. My car is over here. I need to have you home when you start throwing up," he laughed._

 _She finally followed him and stepped into his car, just as Jenna was coming out of the Grill with Matt. She put her thumbs up at the sight in front of her and gave Elena a wide grin._

 _Great! She would have to explain that when Jenna came back from Aspen._

 _As soon as the car began to drive, Elena regretted getting into any car at all. The trees were whooshing by, making her feel more queasy than she already was. The road was disappearing underneath them and she felt her stomach clench violently._

" _Shit, Elena!"_

 _Damon's cursing words didn't help matters, as she flung the contents of her stomach right into the window in front of her. It didn't stop there. Her dress got soaked, the seat underneath her.. even Damon had some bits land on his slacks. He stopped the car and groaned._

" _I'm sorry," she whispered._

" _Yeah, well.. where's your purse? What's the key to your house?"_

 _Elena leaned forward an reached down, clutching the little black thing in her hands. Just then, her stomach clenched again and she threw up in her purse. When she was done, Damon was giving her a tired look._

" _Well, the keys are in here somewhere!" she joked._

" _Fuck that! I'm going home and you're coming with me. I need to get everything cleaned up."_

 _True to his word, Damon drove towards the Salvatore boarding house and Elena fell asleep. When she woke up again, she was in his bed.. but he wasn't there. She could hear him rummaging around somewhere down the hall. Quietly, she got up to find him. He was holding something in his hand when she found him in Stefan's old room; he was standing with his back towards her._

" _Damon?"_

" _Oh, Elena."_

 _She had obviously startled him, as he quickly hid whatever he was holding behind his back._

" _How are you feeling?"_

" _Like a t…truck ran over me. But at least the throwing up has stopped. S…sorry about your car."_

" _Don't worry about it."_

 _She walked around him, trying to get a glimpse of what he was hiding. "What w…where you doing?"_

 _Damon put the item back on a desk that was standing to his right and that's when she saw it; he was holding a picture of them, together._

" _Let's get you back in bed. You're still drunk. You need to sleep it off."_

 _Elena didn't listen to him. She walked over towards the picture and picked it up. They looked so happy together in it, holding onto each other tightly. How things could change…_

" _I… I was h.. happy with you, yyy…you know?" she hiccupped._

 _She took the picture with her and sat down on Stefan's old bed, that Damon had obviously made for himself to sleep in. He came to sit down next to her._

" _You b.. broke my heart back then and I… I n… never really got o… over you. I tried. I still am trying. I'm t… thinking about taking Matt u… up on h… his offer. He w.. wants to go o…out with me."_

" _Donovan?" Damon frowned next to her._

" _He w… would be p… perfect for me, you know? But you and me…. We… we…"_

 _Elena felt herself break down and she cried. For the first time in all of those years, she cried for him.. in front of him. "I l…loved you so m.. much! Why, Damon? Why did you d… do it?"_

 _For a moment there, she thought that she saw him tear up a bit as well, but it could be the alcohol talking again. He put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. She clutched his shirt tightly, sniffling into it._

" _I'm sorry that I had to do that to you, Elena. My father just didn't want you or anyone else to know about… I had to let you go. But know that it caused me a lot of pain."_

" _So y… you really did s… still love me?"_

 _She raised her face up towards his in hope_

" _I did. God, I really did!"_

 _And just like that, he gently leaned down and quickly captured her lips. It was a quick peck, but it set her entire body on fire.. and that wasn't just the alcohol talking. Her hands were still gripping his shirt, as if she wanted to crawl into him and sample what she had been missing all of those years. He gave her one more sweet kiss on her temple and then he pulled back._

" _Come on. You need to get back into bed."_

 _He helped her get back towards his own bedroom and when her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light…._

Elena's eyes widened as she remembered. The whole thing… the past.. had broken his heart just as much as it had broken hers….

 **A/N: Long chapter, here! I hope you enjoyed it. Please, review**


End file.
